2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

337420
Technology in Public Health Practice


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 9:30 a.m. - 9:50 a.m.

Padmini Murthy, MD, MPH, MS, School of Health Sciences and Practice, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY
Audio (mp3) recording Recorded Presentation (mp4)
In recent years, as social media channels have diversified online video, mobile apps, and text messaging have also become invaluable tools for the public health community. For example google launched google flu trends in 2008 by using the data collected to analyze and provide a snapshot of the flu activity occuring globally and this has been a great portal in the practice of public health. A few years ago the department of HHS held a conpetition for app developers and the winner " Mappy Health" has been nalyzing tweets to track health trends around the world. 

  Similarly  the National Cancer Intitute relaying on  smart phone technology has created an project  " smoke free TXT" through which reinforcing text messages are being sent to young adults who are trying  to quit smoking and this is an example of BCC technique being used in the practice of public health 

Similarly  the New York City Health Department’s NYC Condom finder  uses GPS to locate the closest venue that distributes free condoms and this is a effective strategy to reduce the risks associated with unsafe sexual practices. 

I have been using skype video conferencing to connect  public health experts to share their knowledge and teach students key aspects of  public health practice in resource poor settings . In addition I have been using voice thread as an effective way of communication with on line students to bring them up to date  with current trends and innovation used in the field to improve the practice of public health. 

This presentaion will discuss the role crucial role played by social media tools such as face book, instagram in reaching out to global stakeholders working in the field to improve the  health status of communities globally.  

Learning Areas:

Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related education
Systems thinking models (conceptual and theoretical models), applications related to public health

Learning Objectives:
Describe the increasing role of technology in the past decade in advancing public health Discuss the various e learning platforms used to build healthier communities

Keyword(s): Social Media, Public Health Infrastructure

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have over 25 years of experience as a physician , public health professional and professor and have presented at numerous national and international conferences and have published extensively
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

Back to: 3053.0: Use of Technology in Public Health Practice